Performance differences between compound bows and crossbows aren't as obvious as those between compound bows and traditional longbows or recurve bows.

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While our state braces for a true conservation battle over open-pit mining and threats to northwestern Wisconsin's groundwater and other natural resources, bowhunters are renewing their "is not, is too" pre-schooler debate over whether to allow crossbows in our 100-plus-day archery deer season.

Meanwhile, most hunters, the general public and deer themselves don't care if an arrow is shot by a crossbow or compound bow. Or a longbow or recurve, for that matter. If anyone hopes to detect an unmistakable performance difference, watch most archers alternate between a longbow and compound ...